July 28 2011, Mickey Doft

Earlier this month, Federated Sports & Gaming (FS+G) introduced the poker world to the Global Poker Index (GPI), a revolutionary ranking system that sought to answer the question: “Who are the best live tournament poker players in the world today?” Each week the GPI releases a list of the top 300 tournament poker players in the world, so we here at PokerNews are going to see who and what stands out each time the rankings are released.

Here’s a look at this week’s GPI top ten. For a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website.

The Top 10 as of July 26, 2011

and Vanessa Selbst (who now sits in 11th place).

WSOP Main Event Cashers

Last week, only four new players made the GPI. This week, there are 20 new names on the list. The reason? Their cashing in the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, combined with previous results, did the trick. Of the 20 who are making their debuts on the GPI, 16 cashed in the Main Event and are listed below.

PlayerTotal GPI ScoreGPI RankMain Event Finish

Stefan Huber	1,188.81	197	51st
Bolivar Palacios	1,182.50	202	88th
Lars Bonding	1,168	213	22nd
Tyler Bonkowski	1,164.91	218	60th
Sergei Altbregin	1,160.64	222	342nd
Steve Brecher	1,160.13	223	31st
Ruben Visser	1,133.38	240	44th
David Bach	1,133.27	241	45th
James Calderaro	1,128.14	246	260th
Darren Woods	1,112.04	252	442nd
Stephen O’Dwyer	1,094.35	261	626th
Sebastian Ruthenberg	1,086.01	269	55th
Guillaume Darcourt	1,072.57	275	35th
Steven van Zadelhoff	1,059.48	287	658th
Thomas Koral	1,046.90	298	47th
Vladimir Geshkenbein	1,036.79	300	106th

In addition, four others that were already in the GPI made massive jumps and vaulted more than 100 spots. Not coincidentally, they each made a deep run in the Main Event, as well. Joseph Cheong (gained 107 spots), Erick Lindgren (gained 132 spots), Frank Calo (gained 147 spots), and Max Heinzelmann (gained 123 spots) were the biggest movers of the week.

PlayerTotal GPI ScoreGPI RankMain Event Finish

Joseph Cheong	1,442.73	93	114th
Erick Lindgren	1,373.01	114	43rd
Frank Calo	1,314.71	139	90th
Max Heinzelmann	1,249.24	169	151st

Bellagio Cup VII

As for the other four new additions to the GPI this week, final-table finishes at Bellagio Cup VII played a key role for them. We already mentioned Stephen O’Dwyer for his WSOP Main Event cash. He also topped a field of 156 to win the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em tournament for $259,452. Joe Elpayaa finished ninth in that event to make the GPI as well. The other three newcomers are Ted Forrest, Daniel Colman, and Brandon Cantu. They each final-tabled the $10,000 Main Event and took fifth, seventh, and ninth places respectively. Here is how they shape up on the GPI.

PlayerTotal GPI ScoreGPI Rank

Joe Elpayaa	1,063.92	283
Daniel Colman	1,058.61	288
Brandon Cantu	1,057.84	290
Ted Forrest	1,054.16	292

Also making splashes at Bellagio Cup VII, as well as in the GPI, were Hafiz Khan (gained 93 spots), William Thorson (gained 30 spots), and Bryn Kenney (gained 37 spots). Each final-tabled the $10,000 Main Event, as well, finishing runner-up, third, and sixth, respectively.

PlayerTotal GPI ScoreGPI Rank

Bryn Kenney	1,663.62	43
William Thorson	1,588.89	55
Hafiz Khan	1,326.52	133

Ups and Downs

Ben Lamb (gained 41 spots)

Thanks to what will be at worst a ninth-place finish in the WSOP Main Event, Lamb has replaced one six-figure WSOP finish with another and is now up to #50 on the GPI. Remember, the GPI only takes into account a player’s top three finishes during six six-month periods. Lamb’s amazing WSOP won’t be fully reflected until the middle of December, when his first 2011 WSOP cash will fall into the second six-month period, allowing for more of his summer’s successes to be weighted.

Antony Lellouche (dropped 44 spots)

Despite a solid summer that included five WSOP cashes, Lellouche had the biggest individual drop this week. Why? Call it bad luck. His biggest score in the last three years came in January 2010 at EPT Deauville. He took second place in a “20,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller Event, but that score now factors in less because it now falls under the previous six-month period and is not weighted as heavily, dropping Lellouche to #259 on the GPI.

Hoyt Corkins (dropped 42 spots)

The “Alabama Cowboy” tumbled on the GPI this week for pretty much the same reason Lellouche did. Corkins’ largest score of the last three years came in late January of 2010. He won the WPT Southern Poker Championship for $713,986, but that score now falls under a previous six-month term and as a result, Corkins is now #88 on the GPI.

As a reminder, for a look at the entire list of 300, visit the official GPI website. Also, be sure to check out Michael Craig’s write-up on the GPI rankings. While you’re at it, follow the GPI on Twitter and its Facebook page.

To stay on top of the GPI and other happenings in the poker world, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

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July 21 2011, Elaine Chaivarlis

If you’re looking for the top poker news stories of the day, then you’ve come to the right place. The World Poker Tour Slovenia was in its final day on Thursday, so we’ll bring you the results from that event. Also, if you want to know what the online poker traffic scene is looking like, we’ve got the report from PokerScout. Keep reading for all of that and more.

In Case You Missed It

The PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour is headed to Crown Melbourne in Australia from July 27 through August 1. Crown Melbourne is the gold standard for poker Down Under, but on top of that, the city of Melbourne has plenty to offer other than poker.

In 2003, the World Series of Poker Main Event aired on ESPN and changed the poker industry. Throughout the years, poker on television has changed, and this year, a new production company gave the coverage a fresh, new look.

The November Nine of the 2011 World Series of Poker is finally set. Learn more about the players and what was going through their heads the day after they solidified their spots on poker’s biggest stage.

*Image courtesy of SI.PokerNews.com

World Poker Tour Slovenia Day 4

The second stop of Season X of the World Poker Tour is in the books. Thanks to the WPT Live Update Blog, we can bring you a look at the action. On Day 4, WPT Slovenia began with nine players. Johannes Korsar took the biggest stack into the day but failed to carry it all the way to the end. Miha Travnik was the player who ended up with all the chips in his corner.

In the first 45 minutes of play, Manuel Blaschke was eliminated when he moved all-in with pocket jacks but ran into queens. Soon, Patrik Hirvonen and Hugh Cohen were eliminated in eighth and seventh places respectively, leaving the field with its official final table of six.

There was a bit of controversy during the color-up when play was six-handed. It took around three hours to get everything sorted. About 10 minutes back into play, Marcello Marigliano was eliminated when his ace-ten went up against Korsar’s jacks.

Gaetano Fortugno and Ferdi Ciorabai were eliminated in fifth and fourth places respectively. Start-of-day chip leader Johannes Korsar was the next player to hit the rail. According to WorldPokerTour.com, he opened for 50,000 from the button. Vincenzo Natale three-bet to 127,000. Not to be outdone, Korsar moved all-in for 600,000 and Natale called. Korsar showed pocket fours and was up against the king-jack of Natale.

Natale hit a king on the flop and Korsar needed help to stay alive in the tournament. He didn’t find it on the turn or river and was eliminated in third place.

Natale took a three-to-one chip lead into heads-up play with Miha Travnik. A little over an hour into heads-up play, Travnik took the lead from Natale and never looked back. In the final hand, Natale moved all-in preflop with king-eight and was called by Travnik with ace-jack. Natale didn’t catch any of the help he needed and was eliminated in second place. Miha Travnik from Slovenia was crowned WPT Slovenia champion.

WPT Slovenia Final Table Results

PlacePlayerPrize

1	Miha Travnik	$144,399
2	Vincenzo Natale	$99,481
3	Johannes Korsar	$68,244
4	Ferdi Ciorabai	$51,077
5	Gaetano Fortugno	$40,524
6	Marcello Marigliano	$32,926

You can find updates from all the WPT Slovenia action at WorldPokerTour.com.

Traffic Report

For all of you in Los Angeles, don’t worry, this isn’t about “Carmageddon.” (Yes, that was a failed attempt at humor, we know.) Earlier this week, PokerScout issued its latest online poker traffic report. For the week, online poker traffic only rose 0.4 percent, but the five of the top 10 sites and networks saw a rise in traffic.

According to PokerScout, Everest Poker saw an increase in traffic of 11 percent, one of the biggest of the week. In the three weeks since the Full Tilt Poker shutdown, traffic on Everest Poker has risen 62 percent. The second-largest benefactor of Full Tilt’s downfall was PartyPoker, which has seen a 46 percent gain in traffic since the shutdown.

PokerStars’ traffic rose 29 percent over last Monday, which could be attributed to the 65 billionth hand promotion the site is currently running.

PokerScout has noted that it will keep an eye on the Italian market now that Italy is allowing online poker sites to offer cash games.

For more on traffic and a look at year-over-year numbers, head on over to PokerScout.com.

888 to Apply for License?

888 Holdings Plc is in partnership talks with Caesars Entertainment Corp., Bloomberg reports. The Internet gaming company may apply for an online poker license in Nevada for a joint venture with Caesars.

“We would love to do it with them,” 888 Deputy Chairman Brian Mattingley told Bloomberg.

888 would consider debt funding if it decided to make the move to the U.S. and Mattingley told Bloomberg that 888 would decide by “mid-autum” whether or not the company would decide on pursuing an Internet poker license in Nevada.

Second-quarter sales for 888 are up 29 percent. This is largely attributed to poker and the company’s new poker platform. Casino revenues are also up for the Internet gambling site, rising 34 percent compared to the same time last year.

Bloomberg.com has more.

Operation All In

According to Tax-News.com, the Italian Revenue Agency and the Italian financial police, Guardia di Finanza, are attempting to get professional poker players to pay up. The campaign is entitled “All In.” They sure got creative with that one. Operation All In will go after “taxable earnings of poker players on offshore media, such as dedicated television channels.”

According to IRA research, more than 4,000 players in Italy have made almost $100 million and have failed to declare their earnings on their tax returns.

While all taxpayers are being looked at, those with earnings between 2006 and 2009 are being looked at more closely. Those players, who have apparently been discovered are being asked to visit their local tax office and “explain if they have ‘forgotten’ to declare their earnings on their annual tax returns.”

If you or anyone you know is an Italian taxplayer who plays poker, then head on over to Tax-News.com for more.

We’re Honored

The nominations for the CheckRaze.com 2011 Poker Podcast Awards are out and PokerNews is on the list. To qualify, a podcast must “appear on iTunes and produce good content regularly.” And not to toot our own horns, but you can put check marks next to both of those qualification requirements.

Voting is open until August 15. You can vote for your favorite (PokerNews) or you can vote for your top five favorite podcasts in order (PokerNews*5). You’re only allowed to vote once, so make it count (PokerNews).

Go vote at CheckRaze.com.

PokerStars Champions

Of the 57 bracelets awarded this summer at the 2011 World Series of Poker, five went to Team PokerStars Pros. Lynn Gilmartin attended the celebratory champions dinner at Buzios. Who’s the ladies man out of the group? Who would be a the best ruler of a country? Are they following each other on Twitter? Find out in the video below.

Speaking of following on Twitter, you should follow us for up-to-the-minute news.